Connecticut Same-Sex Marriage begins October 28, 2008

Another victory! Last Friday, in a 4-3 vote, Connecticut Supreme Court struck down the state’s civil union law and ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. This ruling will not be appealed as per Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and is set to take effect on October 28. Basically what the ruling stated was that a civil union, which Connecticut voluntarily brought in, was not enough because it still violated the constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the law. The New York Times on October 10, 2008 summarized the vote as follows:

“”Although marriage and civil unions do embody the same legal rights under our law, they are by no means equal,” Justice Palmer wrote in the majority opinion, joined by Justices Flemming L. Norcott Jr., Joette Katz and Lubbie Harper. “The former is an institution of transcendent historical, cultural and social significance, whereas the latter is not.”

The court said it was aware that many people held deep-seated religious, moral and ethical convictions about marriage and homosexuality, and that others believed gays should be treated no differently than heterosexuals. But it said such views did not bear on the questions before the court.

“There is no doubt that civil unions enjoy a lesser status in our society than marriage,” the court said. “Ultimately, the message of the civil unions law is that what same-sex couples have is not as important or as significant as real marriage.”

In one dissenting opinion, Justice David M. Bordon contended that there was no conclusive evidence that civil unions are inferior to marriages, and he argued that gay people have “unique and extraordinary” political power that does not warrant heightened constitutional protections.

Justice Peter T. Zarella, in another dissent, argued that the state marriage laws dealt with procreation, which was not a factor in gay relationships. “The ancient definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman has its basis in biology, not bigotry,” he wrote.”"

 Again, we are part of history being made. History that we never thought would happen in our lifetime. As we brace ourselves for the California vote on Proposition 8, we continue to embrace every victory along the way. Perhaps once they (yes, heteros) see that we actually are benefitting the economy, they will stop fighting against us. Nevertheless, we need to get to a place in this world where we do not have to run to get to the altar before Joe 6-pack votes away our rights!